Many of the products listed in this guide are made by conscientious companies whose products are vegan intentionally and the integrity of their products can generally be trusted. However, some products listed here (under 'Vegan by Accident') are not intentionally vegan and ingredients of these products will quite often change without notice, so be sure and double-check those labels! Keep in mind that this list is not complete - there are loads of vegan foods out there.
We hope this helps! Also, some of these products are regional and may not be available everywhere.

Soy milk is made from... wait for it... soy beans, and is available in many supermarkets and all health food stores. It comes in a variety of types: sweetened, unsweetened, enriched, organic, and as flavored milk shakes. It can be drunk as it is, or used in hot drinks and cooking in the same way that you would use cow's milk. You can also find milk substitutes made from rice, oats and nuts! They all taste different, so if you don't like one, pick another brand or style until you find the ones that suit your taste. We recommend Vitasoy, Edensoy, Silk (in the refrigerated section; it comes in different flavors - the Chocolate Silk is a delight!), WestSoy, Wild Wood, Rice Dream and Chicago Soydairy soy milks.

Butter is obviously made from milk, so it is easiest to switch to margarine, many of which are vegan. Some margarine contains milk derivatives such as whey or vitamins from an animal source, but there are plenty that do not. Most supermarkets stock at least one suitable margarine.

Cheese is also made from milk, and in some cases uses an extract from calves' stomachs, called rennet, to curdle the milk, and so often cheese isn't even vegetarian. However, there are more and more vegan cheeses available these days that are made from vegetable sources instead of milk.

* Tofutti - Sliced as well as shredded cheeses, the garlic slices are great!

Cream Cheese

* Soymage - vegan cream cheese that is non-hydrogenated

Vegan by Accident

* Tofutti - 'Better Than Cream Cheese' in French Onion (yum!), Herbs and Chives, and Original flavor

Nutritional Yeast can also be used to give foods a cheesy kick. Make your own!

Yogurt

As with most things, there are vegan alternatives available to the usually milk-based yogurts. Again, some are better than others, but there's nothing wrong with trying them all, just to be on the safe side!

Dairy ice cream obviously contains dairy products, usually in the form of milk or milk derivatives. If the label on your ice cream, however, reads 'nondairy' or uses the phrase 'non-milk fats', don't assume that this makes it vegan, these may contain animal by-products. The good news is there are loads of scrumptious vegan ice creams widely available! If you find it difficult to get hold of vegan ice cream or prefer something fruity, you could try sorbets and frozen fruit snacks instead. But more and more regular grocery stores are starting to carry these vegan ice cream treats!

* Double Rainbow Soy Cream - all varieties are vegan. We have heard that Butter Pecan, Cookie Vanilla and Mint Chocolate Chip are a dream! Their sorbets are also vegan (Chocolate, Lemon, Mango Tangerine, Marion Blackberry, Rainbow and Raspberry). Both are available in parlors featuring Double Rainbow Ice Cream and some health food grocery markets and specialty grocery markets.

How do you replace eggs? Well, if you're hoping for a vegan hard-boiled egg you really are out of luck. No one has invented the 'soy egg' yet (thankfully! ), but the good news is that you can buy egg-replacers from most health food shops.

These are really only useful as a binding agent in baking, but it does mean you need not go without your cakes.

However, there are many ways to bake fantastic cakes without using eggs - Rose Elliot, the renowned vegetarian and vegan cook, suggests mixing in orange juice to give a light sponge effect, very similar in texture to one that is made with eggs. Bananas or applesauce work just as well.

There is also the Ener-G Foods egg replacer that also does the trick. See http://www.ener- g.com or call toll free at 1/800-331-5222.

If you miss your morning scrambled-egg on toast, try making scrambled tofu instead. You can buy packaged Fantastic Foods Tofu Scrambler, Nasoya Tofu-Mate Tofu Scramble, or make your own with our easy recipe.

(Non-) Meaty Products

Not every vegan wants to replace meat with a 'meaty' alternative, but there are so many yummy products out there that chances are you'll be tempted by some of them.

Although the words sausage and burger suggest meat, or at the very least 'meat flavor' it is important to bear in mind that quite a few will taste nothing like meat, especially if they are made with nuts or tofu. Try the following...

You can also use Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), which can be bought in most health food stores in either chunks or pieces. TVP needs to be rehydrated in water before use. You can also just simply add TVP to foods such as chili or spaghetti sauce while heating them up. Just remember to add extra liquid if you do.

Gravy

Now you've got your sausage and potato dinner, all you need to complete this gourmet meal is gravy.

* Tofurky (by Turtle Island Foods) - consists of four parts: one Specially Seasoned Stuffed Tofu Roast, four Hearty Tempeh Drummettes, fourteen ounces of Tofurky "Giblet" Gravy and a set of two WishStixs made from Tofurky Jurky

* Un-Turkey (by Now & Zen) - Fully stuffed seitan covered with a skin made from soy. The stuffing is made of organic bread and comes with gravy.

Tofu

Tofu is the Japanese word for bean curd. It is made from soybeans, which means that it's very high in protein.

You can buy tofu either in packages where it is submerged in liquid, or in shelf-stable packages. It is also available in bulk.

Silken tofu is often used as the base for salad dressings, soups, and for cooking and baking. Firm tofu, which comes packaged or in bulk, is good for frying. A number of companies also make already prepared tofu in a variety of flavors.

Tempeh is a fermented soy product that has a somewhat nutty flavor and is great for using in place of meat. You can buy it prepared in a variety of flavors, or raw. It marinates well and if you break it apart and cook it with soy sauce and seasonings, it can be used in place of ground beef in tacos. It is a very versatile food and can be quite wonderful when prepared properly.

Convenience Foods

You can always find vegan foods that take very little time and effort to prepare at health food stores. Many are now being carried by mainstream grocery stores.

Pasta is a cheap, healthy and delicious food, and can be miraculously turned into a vegan gourmet meal. Eat your normal spaghetti dish with some vegetarian meatballs or TVP mixed in or make a light peanut sauce or a simple dressing, cook the noodles, mix and serve!

Rice is a great basis for many meals - Indian, Spanish, Chinese and so on. Brown or white, long/short grain, basmati, boilin- the-bag - whichever you buy, you'll find foolproof instructions on the packet.

*Some of these items may contain 'ham flavor'. This flavoring does not contain any animal source ingredient.

Soup

Vegan soups are delicious and easy to make. Many prepared soups are available, and old soup recipes are easily converted using vegan alternatives, or simply omitting the animal products. Use soy milk in milk-based soups, veggie stock instead of meat stock, and TVP or seitan in place of meat in soups.

Yes we know that everyone thinks vegans eat nothing but salad, indeed why should we eat anything else when there are so many interesting combinations available?! The easiest way to prepare salad is to go to the supermarket, buy one of their pre-packed salads and add your favorite dressing, but where's the fun in that?! Begin with a choice of leaves (spinach leaves make a nice change from lettuce), then go wild! Add nuts, seeds, apple, pear, avocado, grated carrot, celery, mushrooms, peppers, spring or red onion, raw red or white cabbage, watercress, cauliflower, zucchini, bean sprouts, mint, etc.

Salads make a delicious and vitamin-packed accompaniment to any meal, but are especially great with a baked potato (add vegan sour cream), pizza, or pasta dishes.

Many other dressings are often vegan, usually vinaigrettes, and Italian dressing can be found almost anywhere. Ingredients to watch for are anchovies (small fish), and dairy products. If you miss Ranch Dressing, you can use vegan mayonnaise as a base and make your own!

Beans and Lentils

Where would we be without them? Packed with protein, vitamins and minerals, they are cheap and can be used in loads of meals. There's a huge choice of beans available and they are easiest to use from a can (although you can buy them dried, but do follow instructions carefully). Lentils are great and easy to cook (35-45 minutes) and can be used as a meat substitute in casseroles, soups and stews, or make a Dahl (puree) with them.

Snacks, Munchies and Treats

There are plenty of snack-type foods available, so you don't need to feel that you miss out on the finer things in life. First, the sweets ..

Both health food stores and most fresh bakeries will have vegan bread, since fresh bread is quite often vegan by default. But do be sure to look out for ingredients such as honey, eggs and dairy products (whey) - the same is true for bagels.

Interesting Vegetables If you find yourself cooking the same old vegetables day in, day out, why not take a trip to your nearest supermarket and see what other vegetable delights grace their shelves? Choose from artichoke, eggplant, or daikon. No, we don't know what to do with them either, but we have fun trying! Or visit your local ethnic food shops and see what they have to offer - we guarantee you'll find something there you'd never heard of before and the produce workers may give you some tips.

PS.

Now thats alot of food so there is no excuses

While at the market if you can hand out these pamphlets which is easily printable. Plaster a few on the windows . If the reading could change even one person that day that one person can tell others and so on. We never advocate "happy" meat or you only betraying the animals.